I'm nearly sure that this is only solvable by replacement of the device but I'd like to vent the issue.

About 9 months ago i got a nice Logitech M705 mouse. which inspired me to add paging via scroll wheel to my mupdf and now i think i wouldn't like it any other way. well, back to the present.

The symptoms are that the left mouse button can't be held down. It'll emit multiple button release and press events when pressed down and more when released. This makes drag and drop impossible. I've opened the mouse and verified that it has the same problem even when the actual button is pressed by hand and that it's not due to any damage nor dirt. What's funny is that the scroll wheel and the right button work as they should producing only one press event when pressed and one release event when released.

Due to that I know that it isn't a problem with anything in my computer as if it was you'd think it would effect the right mouse button too. And it's not a problem with the wireless as the mouse tracks nicely (although it doesn't track as good on worn particle board which is uneven do to water exposure as this Logitech M-UR69 but that's a wired usb mouse).

And I can see the extra button events using xev these only appear when the left button is pressed but not the right for that it gives the perfect response of one press event when pressed and one release event when released.

So if its not my laptop nor the wireless and it doesn't effect the right button or the wheel nor the tracking, it must be that i broke in some weird way the left mouse button's switch.

I did find that some one else had this issue with this mouse:

I've recently encountered problems with the left mouse button not
staying closed when I hold it down. Trying to drag things across the
screen becomes a major malfunction when the button lets go and I have
no idea where the icon was just dropped. Taking the mouse apart and
blowing it out thoroughly seemed to resolve the issue but why did I
need to do that to a six month old mouse in the first place? And how
long before the problem comes back?

2 Answers
2

Well the best way to solve this would be to return the device, as it's supposed to have a 3 year warranty.

The microswitch is obviously damaged and all basic solutions would require you to attempt to modify it or its circuit. From your text, I can't see if it shows multiple clicks when the switch itself is held pressed. If it doesn't, then you could try to solve the problem by adding something between the switch itself and the button which would increase the pressure on the switch, but it won't be a long term solution. In situation such as this, the switch is already sparking too much and the contacts are probably already damaged with tendency to get worse so even if this helps, it won't be a long term solution.

If the switch opens even while held pressed, then a little bit of some sort of contact cleaner could be helpful if there's a way to actually insert it inside the switch, but that could be difficult since most of those switches aren't constructed with ability to be opened in mind.

If you happen to have a similar switch, you could try to replace the whole switch, but then you'd probably lose the warranty, in case something similar happens again.

Yes, one forum post mentioned the microswitch. i have one question: how likely is this to be a fault in this product, i.e. if i were to return it, do you think that the replacement would fail in the same way? this is honestly the first time i've had a mouse die in such a sad way.
–
Dan D.Sep 25 '11 at 14:44

1

@Dan D I can't say. It could basically be 3 things: That your microswitch is a very bad individual unit, that your use is somehow damaging the microswitch and that Logitech used microswitches from of bad quality. In the first case, replacing it will solve the problem. In the second case you're in trouble since it could be very difficult to detect what's exactly damaging the switch, so it may be a good idea to move to another type of mouse if the problem reappears.
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AndrejaKoSep 25 '11 at 15:39

In the third case, I'd say that it depends. If the Logitech is aware of the problem and is willing to fix it and your market isn't a dumping market, then it could have happened that they moved to another type of microswitch in another product revision and that the problem is solved. Otherwise, you'd be getting same product with exact same problem which could die in exactly the same way. Unfortunately, it's difficult to determine which of the scenarios is happening.
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AndrejaKoSep 25 '11 at 15:42

I have the same issue. In fact I've had it from the very beginning but didn't pay attention to it thinking that it's just me. Now after one year of use left button doesn't hold its state at all.
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ruslanApr 2 '12 at 1:17

I had the same problem with the left button of my M705 and it turned out that it was indeed caused by a bad contact in one of the microswitches (an Omron D2FC-F-7N), which contained a copper part that was oxidized. I managed to fix this issue by opening the switch and removing the oxide from the contact pad, here's how to do it:

First, open the mouse. To do this, you need to remove the five screws that hold together the housing: Three of them are located under the black contact pads on which the mouse glides (the pads are just glued so you can remove them by pulling) and two are on the bottom of the battery compartment.

Open the housing of the defective microswitch by inserting the tip of a sharp knife or screwdriver into the slit between the black, upper part of the housing and the dark grey, lower part, first pushing the upper part slightly to the side and then upwards.

In the switch there is a small copper plate that connects to a contact pad on the lower part of the switch when the button is pressed down. Remove the plate by gently pulling it first to the side and then up. There is a small bump on the bottom right side of the plate that makes the contact with the lower part of the switch:

Both the bump on the plate and its counterpart on the switch will probably be covered with a dark, bluish oxide that we want to remove: To do this, use a knife or a rasp to slightly roughen up the surface until it appears shiny and bright again. Then put all parts back into place and close the switch and the mouse.

Now the switch should again establish a reliable electric contact when pressed down, at least until it re-oxidizes...

Alternatively you could just replace the whole microswitch by a new one, which should cost less than a few dollars but is much less fun of course ;)

Also, before you jump into repairing your mouse check if it's still under warranty and if so consider having it replaced by Logitech, since opening it up will usually void its warranty.

This procedure should also be applicable to other mice that contain the same microswitch, most notably to Logitech G series, Apple's 3G, 4G, 5G series, some Razer mice and Microsoft's Intellimouse Optical.

nearly every mouse i've opened up, even the cheapie ones seem to use the same brand and design of switches for the main switches.
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Journeyman Geek♦Dec 3 '11 at 13:23

Nice, but I did get sent a replacement. but I still have the broken one so i might attempt repairing it, when i get back to it.
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Dan D.Dec 4 '11 at 1:15

And after 3 hours I have officially completed the procedure! Thanks a ton for pictures - couldn't have done it without them. For anybody who wants to embark on same journey - getting plates back is the hardest part - make sure you look at the image as to how they should be positioned. And that curvy thingy on plate needs to be pressed against the "wall", like on this image: media.photobucket.com/image/microswitch%20plate%20mouse/… Thanks again @ThePhysicist!!
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kape123May 11 '12 at 12:50

And if anybody has recommendation on most resilient/durable mouse (uses something other than micro switches?) - please feel free to give your suggestion. I like/use Logitech mouses not because I believe they are best, but simply because they have best warranty; however I would prefer to have a mouse that won't mess up after year-two.
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kape123May 11 '12 at 12:55